Figure 7: Mckisson, 2011 The map of Tucson’s low stress bike routes appears to create a connected community; however, the level of stress experienced by cyclists along those routes determines if the street is, in fact, an ideal route for active commuters and ultimately a contributor to the bicycle network. A study based out of San Jose, determined a ranking system in order to define a streets level of stress from the perspective of an average cyclist or pedestrian. The study created a 4 rank system from Level of Traffic Stress 1 (LTS1) to LTS4. LTS1 is the lowest level of stress perceived by the cyclist or the pedestrian and is a suitable route for children while LTS4 presents an environment that is uncomfortable for bicycles and pedestrians. LTS1 is ideal but LTS2- safe for most adults- is acceptable and LTS3 is for the risk takers of the cycling community (Mekuria, et al., 2012). The table below is directly from the study and explains, in greater detail, the ranks of bike routes’ Level of Traffic Stress:
